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Designer-to-the-stars Victor de Souza is kicking off the glittering week by trotting out a parade of couture-clad models who will ride along Central Park South in horse-drawn carriages.

Seven carriages, each holding a decked-out model, will travel east from Seventh Ave. to the Plaza Hotel and back again, beginning about 7 p.m. on Sept. 3, the night before the fashion shows start.

The carriages will mingle with the busy nighttime road traffic as part of the show’s all-about-New-York theme.

De Souza, an Argentinian designer who lives in Harlem, said he would be heartbroken if Mayor de Blasio follows through with a vow to ban the iconic carriage horses.

“It would be so sad to me. I think of New York, I think of Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and the horses,” said de Souza, who is producing the show with the Tahor Group.

“People come for the horses. I hope they do not lose this fight. This is a part of New York.”

The show will also include the hansom drivers, wearing their own tuxedos and top hats.

“We’re honored that he chose to come to us,” said Stephen Malone, one of the carriage drivers who will be featured in the show.

De Souza, who has designed one-of-a-kind creations for Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, said he wanted the horses in the show because they perfectly represent his “romantic” vision.

“These carriages were made to carry big dresses,” said de Souza, whose ball gowns sell for about $12,000 and sometimes take as long as 100 hours to sew. “Big dresses is what I do.”

The brightly colored collection will include ball gowns, cocktail.

De Blasio has threatened to ban the horse and carriage industry, siding with animal rights groups who say it’s inhumane to force the animals to trod through city traffic.

But the producers of the show said they did a lot of research and saw no evidence of mistreatment.

The Daily News spearheaded a call to keep the carriages in Central Park, with nearly 40,000 people signing a petition in support of the them (source).

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